Meet Senator Bernadette Clement
Senator Bernadette Clement made history in 2018 when she became the first woman to be elected as mayor of Cornwall, Ontario, and the first Black woman to serve as mayor in the province.
Three years later, she was appointed to the Senate.
In this interview with SenCAplus, Senator Clement talks about her career in local politics, her love for Cornwall and the challenges facing women in politics.
You grew up in Montréal, and you completed your law degree at the University of Ottawa. How did you end up in Cornwall?
I studied civil law and common law at the University of Ottawa, and then I got a job with the legal aid clinic in Cornwall. I was called to the bar in 1991 at age 25, and I was looking for somewhere to be. Frankly, I have always been seeking a place to belong. Growing up with a Black anglophone father and a white francophone mother, I always felt like I didn’t quite fit in anywhere. And that’s certainly the message I heard from society. People would say, “Where are you really from?” when I would tell them I was born in Montréal.
The Cornwall community welcomed me. At the legal aid clinic, I was working to help injured workers, and people living in poverty or facing disability issues who needed income assistance. I felt useful. When you feel useful, you feel like you belong to a community, and they belong to you. To me, Cornwall represents that sense of belonging. I’ve been there for 32 years now. It’s my home.
Senator Bernadette Clement gives a speech in Cornwall in celebration of Franco-Ontarian Day on September 25, 2023. Though she was born in Montréal, it was in Cornwall that she truly found her home. (Photo credit: Office of Senator Bernadette Clement)
You won a landslide victory in the Cornwall mayoral election in 2018. What was that moment like for you?
It was so special. My parents, brother and sister were all there, along with the major news outlets. But for everybody in Cornwall it was a non-event because they all knew me. I had been around the council table for 12 years. Cornwall also elected the first Jewish mayor in Canada. It’s a big deal because Cornwall is one of the oldest municipalities in Ontario.
When you walk into the council chamber, you see pictures of every mayor on the wall. I wore my brightest, pinkest jacket for my photo. It will remain one of the biggest honours of my life to be the first woman mayor in Cornwall and first Black mayor in Ontario.
It’s a great honour to be called a trailblazer, but it also comes with pressure. You don’t want to be the last; you want to be the first of many.
Who inspired you to start a political career?
When I ran for the first time in 2006, there were no women around the council table. We had just seen the closure of Domtar, the pulp and paper mill, and we were about to face tough economic times as a community. I thought to myself, “How could there be no women involved in community decisions during this time of great challenge?” Elaine MacDonald, who is still a city councillor in Cornwall, suggested that a couple of women run. We would meet regularly at Tim Hortons just to compare strategies.
So, I was inspired by local women and by the fact that there was a lack of representation on council. As I moved forward in my political career, I realized that representation went even deeper.
When I was running for mayor, the little sister of a volunteer was helping with my campaign. This girl looks like me; she has brown skin and curly black hair. We were driving to a neighbourhood for door-to-door campaigning when she leaned forward from the back seat, tugged on my hair and said, “One day I’m going to run for mayor, too.” She said it with a confidence that I wouldn’t have had at her age because I didn’t see people who looked like me in those roles. I realized in that moment how important representation is.
Then you were appointed to the Senate in 2021. How did your time in local politics prepare you for the Red Chamber?
You do everything at a municipal level: You manage big budgets, a transit system, police, a wastewater treatment plant, poverty reduction strategies. We also maintained a relationship with Akwesasne next door. It’s similar in the Senate. Much of the legislation we review touches on reconciliation, the criminal justice system, systemic racism, and social and economic development.
You sit on several committees, including the Senate Committee on Official Languages, the Senate Committee on Legal and Constitutional Affairs, and the Senate Committee on Transport and Communications. Does any committee work stand out to you so far?
The official languages committee is very close to my heart because I am francophone and I think both languages, especially French, need to be properly nurtured across the country. I also think it’s a place to have good conversations around Indigenous languages.
At the transport and communications committee, we deliberated on Bill C-11, the Online Streaming Act. This was a crash course for me as a new senator to work on a controversial topic that affected so many different people.
You are seen as a role model for youth, particularly young girls of colour. What is your advice to young people who are interested in joining politics?
It’s difficult for me these days because I’ve seen an increase in anger in political circles, both on Parliament Hill and on social media. This climate can make women feel unsafe. While we need to continue encouraging women to run, I think we also need to be honest about how much work remains to create a safer environment for women in politics. All I can do is continue to speak out, be authentic and find ways to support women who are running for office.
What do you love most about Cornwall?
It’s where I became Franco-Ontarian. I love the St. Lawrence River and the waterfront. I love that there’s a growing diversity that’s supported by the community.
I love that we’re neighbours with Akwesasne. The plaque outside my office is trilingual: French, English and Mohawk. I worked with the people of Akwesasne to have “Ontario” and “senator” translated into Mohawk. The Mohawk word for “senator” is feminine and translates to “she who raises issues.” I love that.
You have posted on social media about “Ryan Gosling Day,” which is Cornwall’s ode to the famed actor’s career and connection to the town. What’s your favourite Ryan Gosling movie?
I really enjoyed Barbie. I also love Murder by Numbers; Crazy, Stupid, Love and La La Land, which I went to see I don’t know how many times. I can’t give you a favourite because I’ve been a fan of Ryan Gosling long before I knew he was from Cornwall!
Senator Clement stands with senators Marc Gold and Wanda Thomas Bernard outside the Senate Chamber before her swearing-in ceremony on November 22, 2021.
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Meet Senator Bernadette Clement
Senator Bernadette Clement made history in 2018 when she became the first woman to be elected as mayor of Cornwall, Ontario, and the first Black woman to serve as mayor in the province.
Three years later, she was appointed to the Senate.
In this interview with SenCAplus, Senator Clement talks about her career in local politics, her love for Cornwall and the challenges facing women in politics.
You grew up in Montréal, and you completed your law degree at the University of Ottawa. How did you end up in Cornwall?
I studied civil law and common law at the University of Ottawa, and then I got a job with the legal aid clinic in Cornwall. I was called to the bar in 1991 at age 25, and I was looking for somewhere to be. Frankly, I have always been seeking a place to belong. Growing up with a Black anglophone father and a white francophone mother, I always felt like I didn’t quite fit in anywhere. And that’s certainly the message I heard from society. People would say, “Where are you really from?” when I would tell them I was born in Montréal.
The Cornwall community welcomed me. At the legal aid clinic, I was working to help injured workers, and people living in poverty or facing disability issues who needed income assistance. I felt useful. When you feel useful, you feel like you belong to a community, and they belong to you. To me, Cornwall represents that sense of belonging. I’ve been there for 32 years now. It’s my home.
Senator Bernadette Clement gives a speech in Cornwall in celebration of Franco-Ontarian Day on September 25, 2023. Though she was born in Montréal, it was in Cornwall that she truly found her home. (Photo credit: Office of Senator Bernadette Clement)
You won a landslide victory in the Cornwall mayoral election in 2018. What was that moment like for you?
It was so special. My parents, brother and sister were all there, along with the major news outlets. But for everybody in Cornwall it was a non-event because they all knew me. I had been around the council table for 12 years. Cornwall also elected the first Jewish mayor in Canada. It’s a big deal because Cornwall is one of the oldest municipalities in Ontario.
When you walk into the council chamber, you see pictures of every mayor on the wall. I wore my brightest, pinkest jacket for my photo. It will remain one of the biggest honours of my life to be the first woman mayor in Cornwall and first Black mayor in Ontario.
It’s a great honour to be called a trailblazer, but it also comes with pressure. You don’t want to be the last; you want to be the first of many.
Who inspired you to start a political career?
When I ran for the first time in 2006, there were no women around the council table. We had just seen the closure of Domtar, the pulp and paper mill, and we were about to face tough economic times as a community. I thought to myself, “How could there be no women involved in community decisions during this time of great challenge?” Elaine MacDonald, who is still a city councillor in Cornwall, suggested that a couple of women run. We would meet regularly at Tim Hortons just to compare strategies.
So, I was inspired by local women and by the fact that there was a lack of representation on council. As I moved forward in my political career, I realized that representation went even deeper.
When I was running for mayor, the little sister of a volunteer was helping with my campaign. This girl looks like me; she has brown skin and curly black hair. We were driving to a neighbourhood for door-to-door campaigning when she leaned forward from the back seat, tugged on my hair and said, “One day I’m going to run for mayor, too.” She said it with a confidence that I wouldn’t have had at her age because I didn’t see people who looked like me in those roles. I realized in that moment how important representation is.
Then you were appointed to the Senate in 2021. How did your time in local politics prepare you for the Red Chamber?
You do everything at a municipal level: You manage big budgets, a transit system, police, a wastewater treatment plant, poverty reduction strategies. We also maintained a relationship with Akwesasne next door. It’s similar in the Senate. Much of the legislation we review touches on reconciliation, the criminal justice system, systemic racism, and social and economic development.
You sit on several committees, including the Senate Committee on Official Languages, the Senate Committee on Legal and Constitutional Affairs, and the Senate Committee on Transport and Communications. Does any committee work stand out to you so far?
The official languages committee is very close to my heart because I am francophone and I think both languages, especially French, need to be properly nurtured across the country. I also think it’s a place to have good conversations around Indigenous languages.
At the transport and communications committee, we deliberated on Bill C-11, the Online Streaming Act. This was a crash course for me as a new senator to work on a controversial topic that affected so many different people.
You are seen as a role model for youth, particularly young girls of colour. What is your advice to young people who are interested in joining politics?
It’s difficult for me these days because I’ve seen an increase in anger in political circles, both on Parliament Hill and on social media. This climate can make women feel unsafe. While we need to continue encouraging women to run, I think we also need to be honest about how much work remains to create a safer environment for women in politics. All I can do is continue to speak out, be authentic and find ways to support women who are running for office.
What do you love most about Cornwall?
It’s where I became Franco-Ontarian. I love the St. Lawrence River and the waterfront. I love that there’s a growing diversity that’s supported by the community.
I love that we’re neighbours with Akwesasne. The plaque outside my office is trilingual: French, English and Mohawk. I worked with the people of Akwesasne to have “Ontario” and “senator” translated into Mohawk. The Mohawk word for “senator” is feminine and translates to “she who raises issues.” I love that.
You have posted on social media about “Ryan Gosling Day,” which is Cornwall’s ode to the famed actor’s career and connection to the town. What’s your favourite Ryan Gosling movie?
I really enjoyed Barbie. I also love Murder by Numbers; Crazy, Stupid, Love and La La Land, which I went to see I don’t know how many times. I can’t give you a favourite because I’ve been a fan of Ryan Gosling long before I knew he was from Cornwall!
Senator Clement stands with senators Marc Gold and Wanda Thomas Bernard outside the Senate Chamber before her swearing-in ceremony on November 22, 2021.